Teen Tikkun Olam Group 2019-2020
TEEN TIKKUN OLAM
Teen Tikkun Olam (TTO), a Temple B’nai Abraham group for teens in grades 8-12, meets one to two times a month. The goal of TTO is to volunteer in our synagogue and larger community. By making a difference in meaningful ways, we hope to nourish the expanding mind and soul of our Jewish teens. We help them explore how doing for others can be a miraculous moment for both the giver and receiver. Additionally, we give teens the opportunity to become the philanthropic leaders of our teen community!
Join the TTO team and make a world of difference! For questions, contact Arleen Lichtenstein, alichtenstein@tbanj.org or 973-994-3950. Cost to join is $36 for members and $72 for non-members for the year.
Arleen Lichtenstein
TBA Teen Thank the Overlook Staff for Their Heroic Efforts
Teen Tikkun Olam Group from Temple B’nai Abraham raised over $400.00 for food sent to first responders at Overlook Medical Center to thank them with this caring gesture for their heroic work on the front lines of the Covid 19 pandemic. The teens raised money through The Jewish Learning Program bake sale before the pandemic, through tzedakah and venmo. The sandwiches were ordered from Tony Boys Sandwich Shop in Livingston, who gave the teens a discount for this effort.
The TTO group, students in grades 8-12, are meeting weekly via Zoom with Arleen Lichtenstein, JLP Special Project Coordinator to continue selecting projects in which the group becomes involved. The meetings and projects are peer lead, with Arleen overseeing the group as advisor. TTO is repeating this effort this upcoming week for St. Barnabas Medical Center,
Shown are staff from Overlook Medical Center enjoying the sandwiches from TBA Teen Tikkun Olam!
Midday Run 2019 Photo Gallery
TBA Teen Tikkun Olam Midday Run Rides Again!
The Temple B’nai Abraham’s (TBA) Midday Run, the distribution of donated clothing and food to those in need in Newark’s community at St. Rocco’s Church, took place on the Sunday, November 24. This annual event, sponsored by TBA Teen Tikkun Olam Group was preceded by a two month–long food and clothing drive/collection at the temple. On that morning, members of TTO volunteered at TBA to sort a large amount of wonderful, generous donations from TBA congregants. Once donations were packed into a truck, driven by TBA’s own Rabbi David Z, Vaisberg, the students are transported to St. Rocco’s Church in Newark, under the supervision of Jewish Learning Program Special Projects Coordinator Arleen Lichtenstein, Director of Jewish Learning Melissa Weiner and parent volunteers. St. Rocco’s is part of the Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Newark. Catholic Charities has several areas of activity, including an emergency family shelter for homeless women with children including three meals a day. Services include support counseling, educational workshops, instruction in parenting skills, job and housing placement, and referrals for mental health and substance abuse services, a soup kitchen, and food pantry.
Once TTO members arrived at St. Rocco’s our TTO teens quickly unpacked and worked tirelessly to engage patrons to help them “shop” for the perfect items. TTO teens engaged in a wonderful mitzvah on the Sunday before Thanksgiving, assisting more than 525 residents of Newark get much needed supplies for the upcoming winter. Teens and adults who participate always leave with a heightened sense of Jewish social awareness, sensitivity, and civic responsibility. Director Weiner noted,” This event was a unique opportunity for our teens to help the less fortunate. Their commitment and participation made Midday Run a Huge success!!” TTO Coordinator Arleen Lichtenstein added, “Through meaningful interactions with patrons of the Annual Midday Run, students gain insight and understanding about the way each of us can contribute to those in need. This yearly program inspires the young people to recognize that poverty and need is a chronic problem facing our country.”
Arleen Lichtenstein, JLP Special Projects Coordinator & TTO Advisor
TBA Toy Drive to Benefit Saint Barnabas Medical Center…A Huge Success!
The Early School , Jewish Learning Program and Teen Tikkun Olam Group (TTO) of Temple B’nai Abraham recently held a holiday Toy Drive to benefit Saint Barnabas Medical Center’s the Child Life Program.
The Toy Drive requested new, unwrapped toys for the Child Life program, designed to provide psycho-social support to children and their families during the stressful period of hospitalization. The Child Life staff, under the auspices of Pediatric Nursing Administration , sees patients on the inpatient Pediatric Unit, the Burn Unit, Neonatal and Pediatric Intensive Care Units, the Valerie Center for Children with Cancer and Blood Disorders and all ambulatory care centers. The relaxed and comfortable environment and trusting relationships built by the Certified Child Life Specialists and Creative Arts Therapists enable children to express their feelings and concerns regarding hospitalization and illness freely.